Gretchen Lash holds a B.S. in Education from the University of Vermont and an MSW from the University of Houston. She taught 5th and 6th grade for two years in Vermont Public Schools before moving to Houston to apply her passion for social-emotional learning in schools to a social work career. She first joined the ChildBuilders’ team as a social work intern in 2008, where she found a thrilling intersection of two career paths as she enhanced her expertise in the development, implementation, and evaluation of K-12 social-emotional learning curricula. After working as a consultant for many years, she transitioned to a full-time position at ChildBuilders in 2022. During her time with ChildBuilders, she has been instrumental in curriculum development and revision projects for Parents Under Construction, Build to Nurture, and Stand Strong • Stay Safe®, written and managed grants, facilitated marketing, advised on organizational strategic planning, and led research and evaluation efforts.